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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Urban Homesteading & Books to get & Pigs (mostly)

I get that urban homesteading is quite the trend now.  I totally want to get in on it.  But my landlord (izaak) won't let me keep chickens in the apartment (what?).  So, I must read voraciously until we move and have more space for all my new theoretical hobbies (beekeeping, chicken keeping, home brewing and well there is more but Izaak is already exhausted by this SO I don't mention anything else out loud)

Well.  Although I want to play city-lot-farmer...I hate the over use of the phrase urban homesteading.   Homesteading conjures up vision of Homestead Acts, Manifest Destinys, 160 Acres of land, Covered wagons, and cannibalism. (did I lose you with the cannibalism?).  It is a wee bit lame to then equate what American families did 150 years ago with city slickers wanting 3 chickens and a 4x8 raised veg bed.  Right?  Am I alone on this? 

Regardless (or irregardless, or without no regard.  Thanks mom) I recently read two books that I am putting out there as GOOD.  I think I have already talked JJ and Mariana into reading them...But why stop there?  let's spread then knowledge on how to butcher a pig that you raised on your own little city lot (CC&R be damned).  Both of these books are in the scrolly list of books on my sidebar.  Go look.  They are there.  I swear.  If you click on the scrolly book list you will go to Amazon. But Half.com is where I buy (fyi)

  • The Backyard Homestead
AWESOME.  Nearly inspired me to get a pig.  Until Izaak reminded me that I am a vegetarian and raising a pig would be next to useless (but not entirely useless, like if I had a heart attack.)...and that in our 9 years of marriage we have purchased probably less than 10 pounds of pork meat for him. The book was exciting enough to make me forget all of that.
  • Made From Scratch
a memoir about a lady who went from cubicle-rat to urban homesteader in a couple hundred pages.  Full of whoopsie mistakes and how-tos.  But nothing too deep.  BTW that reminds me.  When is something FULL vs being CHOKE FULL? Isn't full, just full?  I think full is like pregnant or dorky.  A thing is or isn't, without being a a spectrum, or partially.
Now what do you think about that?

4 comments:

  1. Haha, I bought Made From Scratch last year and just busted it out again last week! I got a little exhausted reading The Backyard Homestead when I thought I wanted to grow wheat. Then, as it went on about how to harvest, well, I am rethinking my plan........

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  2. All's i kin say is "ee-yai-ee-yai-yo-yo-yo" How urban and farmer is that?

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  3. coming from you? purty farmer like.

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  4. Wait JJ. Don't rethink your plan. Grow wheat...or hops and barley and then make Travis home brew. I totally just got a book on that too...

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